Victim

According to a report by Save the Children, an esteemed non-governmental organization, it has come to light that within the past three weeks, the unfortunate and deeply distressing loss of innocent young lives in the region of Gaza has surpassed the cumulative number of child casualties observed in global conflicts since the year 2019. Based on the data provided by Palestinian health authorities and disclosed by the non-governmental organization on the day of Sunday, October 29, it has come to light that there exists a documented count of no less than 3,324 instances of child fatalities in the region of Gaza since the date of October 7.

In the year 2022, the somber tally of child fatalities reached a disheartening figure of 2,985, encompassing a staggering 24 nations. Similarly, the preceding year of 2021 witnessed a distressing count of 2,515 young lives lost, while the year 2020, spanning across 22 countries, bore witness to the sorrowful demise of 2,674 innocent children. Moreover, it is imperative to acknowledge that an estimated quantity of 1,000 juveniles have been documented as unaccounted for within the confines of Gaza, potentially residing beneath the remnants of demolished structures.

The proportion of casualties in Gaza is noteworthy, as children constitute a significant portion, surpassing 40 percent, of the confirmed fatalities exceeding 8,000, according to Al Jazeera. Moreover, an alarming number of over 6,000 children have endured injuries since the commencement of this ongoing conflict. Overall, at least 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have also been killed in Israel, mostly in the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7. The dearth of electrical power, coupled with the paucity of fuel required to energize generators, has compelled hospitals to curtail their activities.

Consequently, the health ministry has officially proclaimed the health system in Gaza to be in a state of utter disarray, thereby exacerbating the peril faced by children, particularly infants necessitating energy-intensive neonatal intensive care. According to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), the hospital is presently attending to a substantial number of patients who have sustained injuries. Approximately 12,000 individuals who have been uprooted from their homes, predominantly comprising minors and females, have sought sanctuary within the confines of the hospital edifice.

The ongoing military offensive by Israel targeting the besieged Gaza Strip has been executed in conjunction with heightened army limitations and Israeli settler aggressions against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Consequently, the three million Palestinian inhabitants in this region find themselves in a state of immobilization and economic stagnation.  The dearth of employment opportunities is lamentable, expressed Saleh Nakhleh, a 40-year-old chauffeur, in correspondence with Al Jazeera from the designated resting area within the bus terminal, situated in the Israeli-occupied West Bank region. “We find ourselves in a precarious financial situation, struggling to meet our basic needs,” expressed the father-of-four.

In the region of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Israeli military has intensified its routine incursions into Palestinian communities, resulting in fatal consequences. The West Bank had already been grappling with a dire economic predicament prior to the recent events, owing to the enduring 56-year occupation by Israel and the consequential imposition of stringent limitations on mobility. According to the estimations made by the United Nations in the year 2019, it was determined that the Israeli occupation has had a substantial impact on the Palestinian economy. Specifically, it has been calculated that the occupation has resulted in a significant loss of approximately $47.7 billion in fiscal revenues for the period spanning from 2000 to 2017.